Two views of Manuel: Corrupt, set up

With dozens of FBI wiretaps and all-day televised meetings every two weeks, former St. Johns County Commissioner Tom Manuel's 23 months in office were well documented, to say the least.

Nevertheless there is a great divide over what he was really like as a politician.

His critics describe him as a ruthless, self-serving manipulator who steam rolled anyone who stepped in the way of his plans.

His friends characterize him as a misunderstood northerner, who locals preyed on as soon as he entered into politics.

Manuel, 64, of St. Johns, pleaded guilty to accepting $60,000 in bribes in exchange for his influence. He was sentenced late last month to 21 months in prison and three years of probation, which include 16 months of house arrest.

Former County Commissioner Jim Bryant said he knew Manuel would do something to "embarrass the county" even before he was elected.

Manuel was loud, conceited and always ready to pounce, Bryant said.

But Manuel's supporters, who wrote some 40 letters testifying to his good character for the courts, say Manuel's bravado was taken the wrong way by those who thought he was threatening them. His booming voice and dramatic mannerisms are just who he is, they said, but deep down he was only trying to do what was best for the county.

The intimidator

County Commissioner Cyndi Stevenson said Manuel was a "bully" who threatened to "destroy and discredit" her if she didn't get in line with his efforts.

"During Tom's tenure, I often played defense to prevent bad things from happening. Watching the FBI tapes, I realize my worst concerns were true," she said.

"To date, The Record's stories have not fully captured the many angles he was working - not for the good of the county- but for the good of Tom Manuel," she added. "I wonder if people watching the tapes will understand how much damage he could have caused if he had carried out more of his plans."

Former County Administrator Ben Adams said Manuel was someone who had to have things his way. He had heated arguments with the county's staff even when he was serving on the Planning and Zoning Agency, Adams said.

And it was no secret that Manuel wanted Adams out of office. Adams said Manuel met with him shortly after he was sworn in on the county board.

"He closed the door and told me emphatically that he was going to be the most powerful politician in Florida, and I'd better watch my step," Adams said. He said Manuel told him he had his "three votes" to get a majority on every decision.

Manuel took office at the same time as Commissioner Ron Sanchez, and shortly after then-Commissioner Ben Rich. The three held private meetings before Manuel and Sanchez were elected, setting up a sort of alliance that went into effect when they took office in November 2006.

"These were people who had no executive experience. It was like a perfect storm that they all got there at the same time," said Adams, who will vie for Sanchez's seat in the 2010 elections.

Adams wasn't the only former county official to say Manuel threatened people to get his way.

"If you want to know the real Tom that the public never saw, talk to the companies and the developers that were intimidated by him," said Bruce Maguire, the incumbent Manuel unseated in 2006. He declined to be more specific, saying he didn't want to be accused of "mud slinging."

Made enemies

Manuel's friends don't refute that he was tough, but they believe he was tough on those who deserved it.

"Tom pushed people hard to do the right thing for his community," wrote Lee Bendinelli, one of Manuel's neighbors. "But he pushed too hard. Tom didn't think making enemies in St. Johns County was of any consequence. As long as his constituents were the beneficiaries of his actions, he would bear the burden of being unpopular with the development community."

Although Manuel often was painted as an anti-development politician, in reality he promoted "managed growth," which allows for development with proper zoning and mitigation. And he was not without supporters in the development community. In fact, PARC Group Chairman Roger O'Steen, whose company masterminded the massive Nocatee community in northeast St. Johns County, wrote one of Manuel's character letters.

But Manuel did make a point of turning down campaign contributions from corporations and from outside the county. In 2006, Manuel raised less than $16,000 while his opponent, Maguire, reported $145,500.

Manuel won the Republican primary against Maguire by 617 votes, and many believed it was because the community was ready for a change in the status quo.

Manuel's friend Chuck Behrmann wrote that Manuel stood out from previous commissioners because he was "not one of the good old boys" and had the nerve to stand up for the community's interests over the high-powered developers' interests.

Bribes set him apart

But Maguire said Manuel's decision to commit a crime is what really set him apart.

"I grew up in St. Augustine, and I've never heard of corruption like this," he said. "I've heard of elected officials taking advantage of their position, which I think is not proper, but I don't know of anyone else who's ever done what Tom did."

The Record contacted all the commissioners who served just before or during Manuel's term. All but Ben Rich responded, and each said Manuel's crime was an isolated incident.

"That's exactly what it was: Tom Manuel's error and whoever else was involved in it," said Sanchez. "Our County Commission moved on after he was indicted. We've been taking care of business, we've moved on and we haven't looked back."

Bryant, who plans to run for Manuel's old seat in District 4 in 2010, said there was no culture of under-the-table deals on the commission outside of what Manuel did.

He said he was approached once by a developer who presented him some campaign checks and expected favorable consideration. When he realized it, Bryant said, he returned the checks and told the developer not to approach him again.

Trap 'set by enemies'

Manuel accepted cash from a developer's land consultant, but several of the letters he submitted to the courts said he was trapped by his political enemies.

Commissioner Ken Bryan wrote that Manuel "was up against a machine that was against him from day one and willing to do anything to get rid of him."

Bryan said he, too, had experienced the setup attempts by the powerful network of politicians and developers he believed took Manuel down.

Manuel pleaded guilty, but has maintained that he was entrapped. He was taped asking for donations, but never for cash. The tapes show that he was clearly surprised by the cash. He accepted it only after confidential informant Bruce Robbins told him it was time to "do something for Tom," and that there was at least $50,000 more available for the charities.

Maguire doesn't buy the "set up" argument.

"It is my understanding that this is just one of several attempts that Tom made with companies and developers," he said.

Bryant agreed it was not a setup and said Manuel "knew what he was doing."

But Roy Miller, who worked on Manuel's campaign, wrote that Manuel was targeted from the beginning, when his opponents ran a smear campaign during his bid for commissioner.

"I think this is what got this whole mess started," Miller wrote.

The "smear campaign" he referred to was a press conference held by former Sheriff Neil Perry and a group of retired law enforcement officials. The men said they wanted to warn the public that Manuel had ties to organized crime.

In fact, Manuel's tie was a past business partnership with Cliff Perlman. They co-owned a casino and resort in the Caribbean. Perlman was the former CEO of Caesar's Palace and had been accused of having mafia ties, though it was never confirmed in court.

The former county administrator, Adams, a lifelong friend of Sheriff Perry's, was convinced Manuel was dangerous. When Manuel asked him to introduce him to members of Jacksonville's Chamber of Commerce, Adams declined.

'Ceremonial hanging'

Just a few months after Manuel took office, Adams announced his decision to retire two years ahead of schedule. Manuel gave a speech thanking him for his service and issued an award for his work. But in wiretaps from his case, Manuel would tell confidential informant Bruce Robbins that Adams was forced to retire. He called it a "ceremonial hanging" meant to show county staff that no one's job was safe, and that the new commissioners should be respected.

Adams said he decided for himself that it was best to leave when Manuel, Sanchez and Rich formed their alliance. Even before they were elected, he'd heard the rumors that they wanted him out, Adams said, and he hoped leaving would help "settle them down."

"I really didn't have the stomach to stay there. ... It was going to be a mess, and I'm glad I wasn't there to be a part of all that happened," he said.

After Manuel was indicted, his friends tried to work out how the charges could match the man they knew.

The bribes came in exchange for his support of a land deal with the Twin Creeks DRI, but Manuel had always supported that deal. And the purchase price was set by county staff without his input. The bribes were also for his support of future Twin Creeks projects.

Dwight Hines, an activist and writer, dug up all his records from Manuel's meetings. After reviewing all of them, he wrote a letter supporting the former commissioner.

"I cannot find a single instance where Mr. Manuel gave developers a break or appeared to be soft," he wrote. "On the contrary, when some asked for extra time in paying a bond, he absolutely denied their request."

Tarnished county

Several wrote that Manuel was a good man and a good public servant who made a huge mistake, but who nevertheless only did good for the county.

Trey Clark, a soccer coach, wrote that the county ignored reports for years about problems at Davis Park in northeast St. Johns County. But when Manuel arrived, he was at the field, himself, making sure repairs were done.

And William Garrett, who said he's lived in the Ponte Vedra Beach area for 50 years, told the judge simply that Manuel was "the best County Commissioner that St. Johns County has ever had."

But Adams said Manuel hurt a very important aspect of the county: its reputation.

He said he's heard from friends from the other end of Florida who read about Manuel's case and wanted to know what was going on with the county.

"You want to be known as a progressive, well-rounded county. You don't want to be known for stories like this," he said.

*

Richard Prior contributed to this story. Tiffany Pakkala may be reached at tiffanypakkala@gmail.com

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